I need a new Emerson, help me choose

Seilu

Seilu

Joined
Jun 28, 2012
Messages
672
I "NEED" another Emerson. It's been hard but I've narrowed down the choices to only 3 knives now. This one is going to be my tactical knife for emergency use

1) Gentleman Jim
2) Emerson ETAK B
3) Emerson Commander

I know the 15 and 8 are good, but I've owned them and they just weren't for me even though I have Ex-post regret :grumpy:

It's so hard because I feel the Gentleman Jim will be good due to it's sleek design and ease of carry. However the ETAK screams toughness and the Commander simply commands.

Help me decide :eek::confused::confused::confused:
some pics will be nice :D
 
Of the ones listed, I'd opt for the Commander. That being said, if you like the looks of the ETAK, but want something more sleek, what about a 7 or 7V? The GJ has never appealed to me, but everyone's taste is different.
 
Of your choices I would choose a Commander, I really like them in all sizes. It feels better to me and I carry one much more than either of the other two you mentioned. I wish I had got more with the serrations but the blade does cut very well without them. Can't really go wrong with an ETAK either.

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If you are an Emerson fan, you NEED to experience the Commander. It may not be for you after some use and carry but you have to experience one of the most iconic Emersons in the lineup.
 
ETAK B! Needs to be handled to truly understand it's aggressiveness. Tanto blade that just cuts like no body's business only because the ETAK B my friend has seemed sharper than my Gentleman Jim that I have and Commanders that I had. I have a ETAK A and want to get a B model. Handle feels great as described by the man (Ernest Emerson) in one of his videos. Commander handle is kind of like a fat 8 handle to me. The Gentleman Jim is low profile (skinny 15 handle) but I feel it is limited by the pointy tip for my utility needs (fear of damage to tip area by user's error).
 
rayster357 said:
ETAK B! Needs to be handled to truly understand it's aggressiveness. Tanto blade that just cuts like no body's business only because the ETAK B my friend has seemed sharper than my Gentleman Jim that I have and Commanders that I had. I have a ETAK A and want to get a B model. Handle feels great as described by the man (Ernest Emerson) in one of his videos. Commander handle is kind of like a fat 8 handle to me. The Gentleman Jim is low profile (skinny 15 handle) but I feel it is limited by the pointy tip for my utility needs (fear of damage to tip area by user's error).
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I feel the same way about the Gentleman Jim but the tip is quite thick. It is thicker than a Spyderco Military and I have done some things with that knife that looking back on should have damaged the tip but it is still in one piece. Maybe I'm just lucky.
 
The Mach 1 is a great EDC knife. They are kind of hard to find, but they do pop up from time to time. Great ergonomics and it has a slim profile in the pocket.
 
I was thinking of a bts version for the commander? So I wouldn't have to Sharon the recurve?
I did that for knives like zt0301,cqc15
 
Honestly the recurve isn't that deep to make it difficult to sharpen. I have a smiths stone that's about 1/4" thick. I just wrap sandpaper around it and use the side of the stone, it works really well and can get a hair shaving edge.
 
I just got a Mini Commander today and I'm completely blown away by it. I'm waiting on a Gentlman Jim in the mail as well so I'll let you know how I like it.
 
Spyderco's Golden Stone --it looks like a ceramic duck's foot-- is perfect for sharpening recurves. The corners on a sharpmaker's rods do the trick as well. It has not been a problem at all--don't let the recurve deter you, nor is it necessary to modify the commander to eliminate it. The curves add a great dimension to the knife.
 
Here's a look at the sweep of the recurve (when the knife was totally new); mind you, this is the Ubr Commander--but I'm pretty sure they are all more or less the same and just vary in scale.
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the micro commander feels surprisingly good for a small blade. there is a dealer on ebay who still has a few left on sale for a really great price.
 
Totally get the commander first! It was my first Emerson that got me addicted, I carry the mini and a full size and it's great for everything. I also have the ETAK A and B, they are great as well BUT like several others have mentioned you need to experience the classic first :-)
 
Seilu said:
This one is going to be my tactical knife for emergency use
Click to expand...

The Commander cuts the most aggressively, perfect for emergency use when you absolutely have to cut through something.

Seilu said:
I was thinking of a bts version for the commander? So I wouldn't have to Sharon the recurve?
Click to expand...

I think that this is a great idea. The plain edged portion of a serrated commander is what will be normally used for normal cutting chores, and the serrations cover the hardest part of the recurve to sharpen.

Not only that, the curved blade of the commander guides material into the serrations when cutting with a sawing motion.
 
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